There is an all-male Twelfth Night in the West End, and an all-female Julius Caesar opening later this month, but Benedict Cumberbatch has no intention of following Jonny Lee Miller’s example and working with a female Dr Watson as his pal did in the series Elementary.

“After working with with Martin [Freeman], I could never imagine Watson being a woman,” the Sherlock star assures me at a party to celebrate Spencer Hart’s 10th anniversary at the Brompton Club . “Martin is established as Watson.

“I have seen the pilot and one other episode of Elementary – I think it’s great. It works with Lucy playing Watson and she's a good actress, but I don’t think you could do that here with Sherlock.”

Elementary, the US adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective series, sees Miller take the lead role while Dr Watson, who is conventionally a man, is portrayed by the former Charlie’s Angels actress, Lucy Liu.

“It’s not that I think it doesn’t work in the States, it’s just Martin has been established as Watson and you can’t change that.”

Obviously, obviously we couldn't switch out Martin Freeman for an actress and pretend nothing happened and I don't understand what the point of this article is, except as a way to somehow make it seem like Benedict thinks girl-Watson is a bad idea, which just...isn't saying at all. I'm waiting for it to get spun that way though.

Hmm...point, it could be used to deflect the fact that she's masquerading as a man, also her disinterest in romance/sex/etc...but still. You'd have to be really careful discussing that sort of thing. lol

OH GOD IMAGINE IF THIS WAS A REAL THING. IMAGINE HOW *PISSED* MOFFAT WOULD BE.

I think if it was real or somehow proven, the horror and anger from the pressed Holmsian societies (some of which still don't admit woman) would make me the happiest person in the whole entire universe.